Five UVA Football Opponents Ranked or Received Votes in First AP Poll of the 2024 Season

Nov 13, 2021; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers center Olusegun Oluwatimi (55) snaps the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers will face the Fighting Irish on November 16th. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers center Olusegun Oluwatimi (55) snaps the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers will face the Fighting Irish on November 16th. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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In the last week of 2024 without college football, the AP released its first poll of the 2024 football season. Not surprisingly, Virginia did not receive a single vote in the first poll of the season as the Cavaliers have not received a ranking in the AP or College Football Playoff rankings since the 2019/2020 season.

Although Virginia did not receive any votes, five of the Cavaliers opponents garnered votes with two teams inside the top 25 in No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 14 Clemson who Virginia will face on Saturday, November 16th, and Saturday, October 19th, respectively. The Cavaliers will face both of these teams on the road.

On top of the two powerhouses of Notre Dame and Clemson, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and SMU all received votes in the poll, but not enough to lift them into the illustrious top 25. With their votes tallied Louisville sits at No. 26, Virginia Tech at No. 27, and SMU at No. 29.

The Cavaliers will face Louisville on Saturday, October 12th, SMU on Saturday, November 23rd followed by Virginia Tech on Saturday, November 30th.

To add, the ACC saw an additional three opponents feature in the top 25 in No. 10 Florida State, No. 19 Miami, and No. 24 North Carolina State to give the ACC a total of four teams in the top 25, fourth-most for a conference behind the SEC (9), Big Ten (6), and Big 12 (5).

See the full AP Preseason Poll below.

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Oregon
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Notre Dame
8. Penn State
9. Michigan
10. Florida State
11. Missouri
12. Utah
13. LSU
14. Clemson
15. Tennesse
16. Oklahoma
17. Oklahoma State
18. Kansas State
19. Miami
20. Texas A&M
21. Arizona
22. Kansas
23. USC
24. North Carolina State
25. Iowa

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:
Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.

More Virginia Football News

Seven UVA Football Opponents Ranked or Received Votes in Preseason Coaches Poll

Virginia Football: Five Impactful Newcomers to Watch This Season

Virginia Football: Several Cavaliers Named to Preseason Award Watch Lists


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Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.